


we ain't perfect, but we damn close

by siwona



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character Death, Established Relationship, First Dates, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Infertility, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Light Angst, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Trans Male Character, implied trans girl character, trans ling yao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 07:38:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17320781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siwona/pseuds/siwona
Summary: When they’re out, clothed and wandering to the kitchen, Greed wraps his arms around Ling’s waist from behind, successfully impeding his quest for food. “Hey,” he says, nose pressed to Ling’s neck. “Let’s go out today?”Ling tenses up, heart skipping a beat. He knows what Greed wants, and god, he wants it too. But… “We can’t, Greed. I don’t…” I don’t want you to get caught up with my family, he’s about to say, but Greed squeezes him tight and waddles them both to the kitchen.“Yeah, I figured. Worth a shot though, right?” He chuckles, and the sound reverberates through his chest against Ling’s back, filling him with warmth. “I can take care of your problem….”“Stop right there,” Ling laughs, turning around in Greed’s grip and kissing him lightly. “Worry about your own family first. Mine isn’t nearly as batshit.”





	we ain't perfect, but we damn close

**Author's Note:**

> dont ask me why i wrote this Entire Thing when all i wanted was greed & ling being sweet in bed the morning after. lays down.
> 
> also i didnt outright say it, but i hc (human) lust as a transgirl. her & greed are identical twins so. yeah. dabs.  
> & i know i tagged it, but its implied that ling is infertile due to abuse. just a warning, since thats a sensitive subject.
> 
> anyway, enjoy!

Ling can’t remember ever spending this much time with Greed. Of all the times they’ve met up, there’s only been three times that they were able to be together longer than two hours, including the day they met and today. It’s unusual for them to find the time to get together for more than that; they can barely manage to even meet up once a week.

 

The moment Greed had flirted with him in his favorite coffee shop, Ling had been… not quite enamored, yet. Definitely horny. Interested enough to continue the conversation, at the very least, and they just… clicked, in a way Ling hadn’t experienced with anyone else. They stayed in that coffee shop for hours just getting to know each other, before Ling remembered he had duties to attend to, he didn’t have time for frivolous conversations with this handsome, muscular man that was clearly interested in taking the conversation somewhere a little more private.

 

He had taken Greed home that night anyway. Well, to one of his homes, but that detail was irrelevant.

 

Last night was just as slow, just as teasing, just as  _ good _ . Ling likes it rough, but it was nice feeling like they didn’t have to rush. It’s nice waking up to Greed running his fingers through his hair and along his back, sweet and soothing. It’s nice trailing patterns on Greed’s chest, leaning up every now and then for a soft kiss.

 

It’s almost like they’re dating. They’re not, of course; his father would never allow it. He doesn’t tend to follow his father’s rules, but… he doesn’t want Greed caught up in his mess for what would probably be a short time together. And his father would surely make it short if he ever found out that they were romantically involved. His father isn’t homophobic or anything. He barely even bat an eye when Ling started addressing himself as Ling. That isn’t the issue.

 

As long as they stay friends with benefits, everything is fine. Romantic relationships are a liability, and having children is especially prohibited, even if it’s with someone in the Family.

 

(Although his father had probably beaten the whole “having children” part out of him during “training” in his younger years. He would never be able…

 

It’s a sore subject Ling doesn’t like to dwell on.)

 

“Prince.”

 

Ling snaps out of his thoughts to focus on the man beside him, grunting an acknowledgement. Greed’s heartbeat flutters beneath his fingers when he looks up at him and shifts closer. The only thing Greed gives him in response is a concerned look, so he sighs and offers up, “Just thinking… about something bad.”

 

Greed pushes him back against the sheets, rolling onto him and pressing light kisses beneath his jaw. “Don’t,” he murmurs into his skin.

 

“Oh, wow, why didn’t I think of that? Silly me.”

 

Greed snorts a laugh directly onto his throat. “I  _ meant _ , let me distract you.”

 

Ling can do that. He lays back, Greed’s bare body gently covering his own, pressed together in a way that has Ling arching up for more. His fingers tangle in Greed’s hair, tug him up for a kiss, and his legs squeeze around Greed’s hips as they rock together.

 

It’s already almost noon by the time they finally drag themselves out of bed, Greed tripping over their clothes on the way to the bathroom. Soon, they’re under the warm spray of the shower, soapy hands wandering along each other’s bodies and through their hair, touches lingering as they take their time exploring.

 

When they’re out, clothed and wandering to the kitchen, Greed wraps his arms around Ling’s waist from behind, successfully impeding his quest for food. “Hey,” he says, nose pressed to Ling’s neck. “Let’s go out today?”

 

Ling tenses up, heart skipping a beat. He knows what Greed wants, and god, he wants it too. But… “We  _ can’t _ , Greed. I don’t…”  _ I don’t want you to get caught up with my family _ , he’s about to say, but Greed squeezes him tight and waddles them both to the kitchen.

 

“Yeah, I figured. Worth a shot though, right?” He chuckles, and the sound reverberates through his chest against Ling’s back, filling him with warmth. “I can take care of your problem….”

 

“Stop right there,” Ling laughs, turning around in Greed’s grip and kissing him lightly. “Worry about your own family first. Mine isn’t  _ nearly _ as batshit.”

 

Greed kisses him back, and his hands hold onto Ling’s jaw and pull him as close as possible. The kiss is soft, full of affection, full of everything Greed wants and Ling wishes they could have. They stay like that for a while in the middle of the kitchen, so completely lost in each other that they don’t even think about parting.

 

And then Ling’s stomach growls angrily.

 

Greed pulls back, laughing loudly. “Sorry, didn’t mean to cockblock you. Breakfast?”

 

“It’s noon,” Ling says in response, but there’s no protest in his voice. He’ll eat anything Greed cooks up for him, and Greed knows it.

 

“Yeah, yeah, so how much bacon do you want?”

  
  
  
  


Ling doesn’t see Greed for a long time after that short vacation. He longs to go back, to just relive that day over and over, but they both have things to attend to, places to be, people to kill. He settles for texts late into the night and the occasional call.

 

When he hears about Envy’s death, he thinks nothing of it. Seems they got caught by the police during a raid. Mustang’s crew. He texts Ed about it and finds out that they got an anonymous tip, but unfortunately, Envy got shot and died before they could arrest them.

 

Ling shrugs it off. In this line of business, you never know which day is your last. Envy had been taunting the police for years, so it’s only natural that they’d get caught eventually.

 

Greed didn’t like Envy very much, but Ling shoots him a message anyway, making sure everything’s okay. The only thing he gets in response is a laughing emoji, so he drops the subject easily.

 

It’s when Gluttony is found dead that Ling gets suspicious. Two isn’t enough for him to do anything though; it could be just a coincidence. Ling has a feeling it isn’t.

 

And it’s not, he figures, because soon after, Sloth dies too. “This is not what I meant when I said you need to worry about your own family,” he hisses into the receiver of his phone, glancing around even though he knows he’s alone.

 

“Yes, it is,” Greed says with an infuriatingly casual tone.

 

And, well, he’s right, but… “This is so dangerous! What if you get caught? None of this matters if you’re dead!”

 

“You know I’m one to take what I want. I thought you were too.” Greed sighs, his overdramatic ass clearly trying to express fake disappointment. “And here I was about to tell you Wrath’s entire itinerary for next Thursday.”

 

Ling pauses. He knows Greed has a point — a  _ very _ good point — but he knows his own point is valid too. If they do this, if Greed continues, they could die.

 

But… Ling is constantly in danger, from people in his own Family. Branch members were always planning assassinations, waiting for the right moment to strike and take his place as next in line. It’s not like he’s not used to this kind of thing, and Greed most certainly is as well.

 

So  _ what  _ is holding him back?

 

Greed’s voice abruptly brings him out of his thoughts. “Ling, babe, this has been a long time coming. Whether you want it to or not, it’s happening. All I want to know is if you want a little slice of the pie.”

 

It’s more than just that, he knows; it’s about their relationship and being  _ free _ , and he really doesn’t have a reason to refuse. “I think I can make some space in my calendar for next Thursday.”

 

He can practically feel Greed grinning through the phone.

  
  
  
  


The wind blows strong on the rooftop, the chill seeping through Ling’s thin clothes as he represses a shiver. He adjusts for the breeze again and stills. He can be patient when he wants to be, when he has a goal in mind and determination like fire in his veins. He breathes out, slow and calming, and peeks through his scope.

 

Wrath looks out of his office window, and, for a moment, it seems like he’s staring directly at Ling.

 

Ling knows it’s impossible; he’s too far away, and Wrath wouldn’t continue standing in the perfect spot if he knew. Still, it’s unnerving, and Ling doesn’t hesitate in pulling the trigger.

  
  
  
  


The news sensationalizes Wrath’s death, and it glosses over how the rest of Greed’s family drops like flies until there’s only him and his father left.

 

The moment Ling hears about Lust, he calls.

 

Greed answers with, “I really don’t want to talk about this, Ling.”

 

“Talk anyway.”

 

He lasts five minutes before he takes a shaky breath and speaks. “It feels wrong, with her gone. Like, I dunno, there’s a hole that’s been… ripped out of me.” He scoffs at himself. “It’s stupid.”

 

“It isn’t,” Ling says firmly. “You guys were close. And don’t tell me she didn’t care,” he interrupts as soon as he hears Greed click his tongue, “because you were one of the very few things she cared about at all. You and Gluttony.”

 

“Yeah, and then I killed Gluttony.” Ling pauses at that, and Greed takes that opportunity to continue. “I’ll admit she liked me a little; we’re fucking identical twins, so she kinda had to. But her attachment to Gluttony…. She practically raised him herself. Of course she was mad.”

 

They both stay silent for a while after that, just listening to each other breathe as Ling thinks over the one time he had met Lust. No matter how alike they looked, at the time, Ling thought that her and Greed had nothing in common. She had seemed so cold, so unfeeling, so  _ sharp _ , and Greed was just so soft around the edges, trying and failing to hide how much he cared about everything.

 

Maybe Ling was wrong. “You know, she waited an awfully long time to confront you after Gluttony died…. That’s kinda weird, isn’t it?”

 

Greed grunts, startled out of his own thoughts. “Not really? When she gets mad, she plots.”

 

“But it’s  _ you.  _ What is there to plot about?”

 

“What are you saying?” Greed’s voice betrays him, trembling with the effort of holding back his emotions. He already knows what Ling is saying. “That she wanted to die? I know my sister, Ling, and let me tell you, death was not on her agenda.”

 

“She knew what you had to do, and she knew you couldn’t do it with her alive.” Ling knows Greed wants to protest, but Ling cuts him off. “There’s no way to know what she was really thinking, but… maybe you weren’t the only one trying to get free.”

 

Greed is silent for a long moment after that. There are no sobs, no “I miss her”s, no sniffles or curses. Only silence as Ling gives Greed the space to mourn the only family he ever cared about.

  
  
  
  


And then even Greed’s father is dead, after Greed gathers every single incriminating document, removes anything mentioning himself, and turns it over to Ed. The whole organization is dismantled, and Greed is left with a rundown bar that’s slowly losing money.

 

Well, he claims that he’s going to fix it up once he recovers, and no, he doesn’t need help, he can handle it just fine, thank you.

 

Ling sighs, staring at the man asleep next to him. It feels like a lifetime ago that they were rolling around in bed and laughing. Now Greed can barely do much more than complain, though the fact that he’s complaining must mean he’s going to be okay.

 

Still, Ling gently runs his fingers over the bandages wrapped around Greed’s body. God, he wishes he was there. Greed would call him foolish for wishing something like that, but… maybe, if he had been there, Greed wouldn’t have gotten hurt.

 

The dread he had felt when Greed showed up on his doorstep, covered in blood, pale and swaying dangerously, was indescribable. He feels it now, muted but still at the forefront of his mind, because sure, Greed may not be dying in his arms right this second, but who knows if he’ll ever recover from this?

 

_ He has to recover _ , Ling thinks to himself, fiercely, repeatedly, as if doing that will make it true.  _ He has to. _

 

His fingers linger over the gunshot wound on Greed’s abdomen. He’s seen people die from these, seen people lose their ability to eat from these, and he’s  _ terrified _ . No matter how much his doctor tells him Greed is recovering well, his anxiety tells him that Greed isn’t.

 

Greed grunts in pain, and Ling recoils as if his hand’s been burnt. The grunt turns into a groan, Greed’s eyes fluttering open. He struggles to move for a moment before seeming to remember his injuries. “Hey,” he says, voice rough from disuse. At one point, Ling thought it was sexy; now it gives him a feeling of intense relief with the knowledge that Greed isn’t gone yet. “Seems a little early to be awake.”

 

“Sorry,” Ling says instead of answering Greed’s unspoken question, “did I wake you?”

 

“Yeah.” Greed has always been brutally honest, and this time is no exception. “‘S okay. I told you to wake me up when you felt like this anyway.” He grabs onto Ling’s hand still lingering in the air and brings it to his lips, speaking up again before Ling even has a chance to ask. “You’re worried. Talk to me about it.”

 

Ling pulls his hand away to caress Greed’s jaw, leaning down to place the lightest of kisses against his cheek. He doesn’t want to aggravate his split lip, so he avoids it altogether. “You need rest, not me dumping my anxiety onto you. I want you to recover as fast as possible…”

 

“... But you don’t think I will.” Greed shifts, clearly trying to sit up, but Ling presses down on his shoulder. “Listen, Ling, the doc said I’m doing great. I’ll be able to eat solid food soon. And if something unexpected comes up, the doc can fix me right up. You trust her, don’t you?”

 

He does. But that doesn’t stop him from panicking. “Go back to sleep, Greed,” he whispers.

 

Greed settles back into the sheets, but not before pulling Ling down for a kiss and intertwining their fingers together. “Join me.”

 

Ling lays down next to Greed without a word and spends the rest of the night watching Greed’s slow, even breaths, gripping his hand tight.

  
  
  
  


Ling’s father passes away quietly in his sleep, strangely right after he accuses Ling of having a romantic relationship with a man from another gang. Maybe the stress gave him a heart attack. He  _ was _ getting old.

 

Ling becomes the leader of the Yao Group without any trouble, and he works on fixing up the mess his father left behind. It’s hard to find time to worry about Greed now, but he manages. Every free second he has is spent wondering how Greed’s doing, if he’s keeping food down, if he’s reopening his wounds trying to move. It’s ridiculous, Greed tells him.

 

It isn’t until Greed is limping around, overseeing renovations of the bar he’s neglected since he got caught up with his father, that Ling relaxes a little. He keeps his eyes on Greed the whole time, wanting to catch any sign that he isn’t as well as he claims. It does nothing to relieve the tension in his shoulders, but at least his anxiety isn’t driving him mad.

 

“Babe.”

 

Ling focuses on Greed’s face in front of him, startled out of his thoughts. “Oh, are you done?”

 

Greed nods, leaning down to kiss Ling on the cheek. His arm wraps around Ling’s waist lightly, and he brushes his nose against Ling’s jaw. “Yeah, it’ll be done in a week, and then I’ll get the crew together to get this place up and running soon after.” He pauses before asking, “You okay?”

 

“Yeah,” Ling responds, “why wouldn’t I be?”

 

Greed’s hands slide along Ling’s sides, up his chest to his shoulders. “Well, sweetheart, you seem a little tense. Want me to fix that for you?” He smirks, thumbs brushing against his neck, and Ling’s pulse jumps.

 

The look on Greed’s face is enough to make Ling shiver in anticipation; he knows what that look means.

 

Ling pulls away slightly, trying not to get drawn in, though his head is already dizzy. “You’re still injured,” he points out. He hates having to be the voice of reason, but with Greed, it’s becoming a habit. “Don’t push yourself.”

 

“Oh, I won’t.” Greed leads them to the car with a grin. “Hope you’ve cleared some space in your schedule today,  _ boss _ .”

  
  
  
  
  


Greed keeps his word; it’s much easier for him to take it easy with Ling on top, grinding on his face. Ling has no complaints, but even if he does, it’s not like he can say anything with his mouth full.

  
  
  
  
  


The ragtag group of outcasts that consists of Greed’s crew sets up shop at the bar as soon as it’s done, running it like a legitimate business. To be fair, it  _ is _ a legitimate business; the only thing Greed really does behind the scenes is collect information for Ling. Sure, that might be a little shady, but telling Ling about his day at work is perfectly legal.

 

To celebrate the successful opening of his bar, Greed takes Ling out to a fancy restaurant on the roof of some hotel. Their very first date, finally. Despite talking to each other every day, somehow, Ling can’t seem to stay quiet, rambling nervously through the whole dinner. It just… feels like they’ve done too much to get to this point, and it’s putting him on edge.

 

Greed holds his hand through it all, thumb massaging gently into his skin. When they get up to leave, he pulls Ling closer, says, “It’s okay to feel happy, you know.”

 

Ling laughs, just a bit too loudly. “A little cocky, aren’t you?”

 

“Won’t be  _ just a little  _ later tonight, babe.”

 

The familiar banter manages to relax him, and he finally leans into Greed’s touch, sighing. “The date was great, I just… I’m finally free to be happy, and I’m still scared someone’s gonna come up and snatch everything away from me.”

 

They get in the elevator, and as soon as the doors close, Greed tilts Ling’s head up and kisses him. It’s passionate, much more than Ling expects, and he ends up gripping Greed’s suit jacket desperately in an attempt to ground himself here.

 

By the time the elevator doors open again, Ling feels disheveled to an inappropriate degree. He runs his fingers through his hair as they wait for the valet to bring their car around.

 

“I’m scared too,” Greed says suddenly, and, no matter how honest Greed is always saying he is, the admittance still surprises Ling. “For a while, it felt like every little decision was life or death, and now that it’s not, I feel like I don’t know what to do. But, you know, I never really knew what to do anyway, so what’s the point in worrying about it?”

 

Ling smiles softly, hiding it behind his hand. “You are terrible at being reassuring.” The flush that rises to Greed’s cheeks is a rare treat that Ling savors. “But thank you for trying. And yes, I will suck your dick to show my gratitude.”

 

“I wasn’t going to ask that,” Greed protests, but he certainly doesn’t refuse it later.


End file.
